Apollo 11 Moon landing: ten facts about Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins' mission - Telegraph Space Apollo 11 Moon landing: ten facts about Armstrong, Aldrin and Collins' mission Ten things you may not know about the Apollo 11 mission of Lt Col Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin which allowed man to walk on the Moon for the first time on July 20, 1969. Michael Collins, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin talk to President Richard Nixon from their mobile quarantine unit onboard the USS Hornet in the Pacific Ocean Photo: NASA 9:30AM BST 18 Jul 2009 As the Eagle landing module was descending towards the Moon’s surface, Armstrong and Aldrin realised they had overshot the intended landing spot by miles and were heading for an area strewn with boulders. In manoeuvring to avoid hitting the rocks, they came to within a minute of running out of fuel for the descent and having to abort the mission. After the Eagle landed, Aldrin, a Presbyterian, recited from the Bible and took wine and a small wafer from a home communion kit given to him by his pastor.

Neil Armstrong may have been the first man to walk on the Moon, but Buzz Aldrin was the first man to urinate there. While millions watched on live television, Aldrin relieved himself a tube fitted inside his space suit. The astronauts had trouble planting the American flag in the Moon’s hard surface, worried it would fall over on live television. As they blasted off, Aldrin later recalled, the Stars and Stripes flag was knocked over in the blast from Eagle’s ascent engines. The mineral, armalcolite, discovered during the first Moon landing and later found at various locations on Earth, was named after the three Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil ARMstrong, Buzz ALdrin and Michael COLlins. When the astronauts took off their helmets after their moonwalk, they noticed a strong smell, which Armstrong described as “wet ashes in a fireplace” and Aldrin as “spent gunpowder”. It was the smell of moondust brought in on their boots. After returning to the landing module, Aldrin accidentally broke the switch used to activate the ascent engines. After initial concern they managed to activate the switch using a ball-point pen.

An estimated 600 million people watched the Apollo 11 landing live on television, a world record until 750 million people watched the wedding of the Prince of Wales and Lady Diana Spencer in 1981. (Source: Guinness World Records) After returning to Earth the astronauts were put in quarantine for three weeks for fear they may have brought back unknown pathogens from the Moon. The Apollo space programme cost was given as $25.4 billion, around $150 billion (£93bn) in today’s money. One of President Nixon’s speechwriters had prepared an address entitled: “In Event of Moon Disaster”. It began: “Fate has ordained that the men who went to the moon to explore in peace will stay to rest in peace.” If the launch from the Moon had failed, Houston was to close down communications and leave Armstrong and Aldrin to their death.

Related Articles Apollo 11 - Facts & Summary - HISTORY.com Google Apollo Program: Background The American effort to send astronauts to the moon had its origins in an appeal President John Kennedy made to a special joint session of Congress on May 25, 1961: “I believe this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to Earth.” At the time, the United States was still trailing the Soviet Union in space developments, and Cold War-era America welcomed Kennedy’s bold proposal.In 1966, after five years of work by an international team of scientists and engineers, the National Did You Know? President Richard Nixon spoke with Armstrong and Aldrin via a telephone radio transmissionshortly after they planted the American flag on the lunar surface. Nixon considered it the "most historic phone call ever made from the White House." Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) conducted the first unmanned Apollo mission, testing the structural integrity of the proposed launch vehicle and spacecraft combination.

Then, on January 27, 1967, tragedy struck at Kennedy Space Center in Cape Canaveral, Florida , when a fire broke out during a manned launch-pad test of the Apollo spacecraft and Saturn rocket. Three astronauts were killed in the fire. Despite the setback, NASA and its thousands of employees forged ahead, and in October 1968 Apollo 7, the first manned Apollo mission, orbited Earth and successfully tested many of the sophisticated systems needed to conduct a moon journey and landing. In December of the same year, Apollo 8 took three astronauts to the dark side of the moon and back, and in March 1969 Apollo 9 tested the lunar module for the first time while in Earth orbit. That May, the three astronauts of Apollo 10 took the first complete Apollo spacecraft around the moon in a dry run for the scheduled July landing mission. Apollo 11 Mission: July 16-July 24, 1969 At 9:32 a.m. EDT on July 16, with the world watching, Apollo 11 took off from Kennedy Space Center with astronauts Neil Armstrong , Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins (1930-) aboard.

Armstrong, a 38-year-old civilian research pilot, was the commander of the mission. After traveling 240,000 miles in 76 hours, Apollo 11 entered into a lunar orbit on July 19. The next day, at 1:46 p.m., the lunar module Eagle, manned by Armstrong and Aldrin, separated from the command module, where Collins remained. Two hours later, the Eagle began its descent to the lunar surface, and at 4:17 p.m. the craft touched down on the southwestern edge of the Sea of Tranquility. Armstrong immediately radioed to Mission Control in Houston, Texas , a now-famous message: “The Eagle has landed.” At 10:39 p.m., five hours ahead of the original schedule, Armstrong opened the hatch of the lunar module. As he made his way down the module’s ladder, a television camera attached to the craft recorded his progress and beamed the signal back to Earth, where hundreds of millions watched in great anticipation.

At 10:56 p.m., as Armstrong stepped off the ladder and planted his foot on the moon’s powdery surface, he spoke his famous quote, which he later contended was slightly garbled by his microphone and meant to be “that’s one small step for a man, one giant leap for mankind.” Aldrin joined him on the moon’s surface 19 minutes later, and together they took photographs of the terrain, planted a U.S. flag, ran a few simple scientific tests and spoke with President Richard Nixon (1913-94) via Houston. By 1:11 a.m. on July 21, both astronauts were back in the lunar module and the hatch was closed. The two men slept that night on the surface of the moon, and at 1:54 p.m. the Eagle began its ascent back to the command module.

Among the items left on the surface of the moon was a plaque that read: “Here men from the planet Earth first set foot on the moon–July 1969 A.D–We came in peace for all mankind.” At 5:35 p.m., Armstrong and Aldrin successfully docked and rejoined Collins, and at 12:56 a.m. on July 22 Apollo 11 began its journey home, safely splashing down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:50 p.m. on July 24. Apollo Program: Final Missions There would be five more successful lunar landing missions, and one unplanned lunar swing-by, Apollo 13 (whose lunar landing was aborted due to technical difficulties). The last men to walk on the moon, astronauts Eugene Cernan (1934-) and Harrison Schmitt (1935-) of the Apollo 17 mission, left the lunar surface on December 14, 1972.

The Apollo program was a costly and labor intensive endeavor, involving an estimated 400,000 engineers, technicians and scientists, and costing $24 billion (close to $100 billion in today’s dollars). The expense was justified by Kennedy’s 1961 mandate to beat the Soviets to the moon, and after the feat was accomplished ongoing missions lost their viability. Tags Apollo 11: First Men on the Moon Apollo 11: First Men on the Moon By Nola Taylor Redd, Space.com Contributor | July 25, 2012 03:39pm ET MORE Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin photographed this iconic photo, a view of his footprint in the lunar soil, as part of an experiment to study the nature of lunar dust and the effects of pressure on the surface during the historic first manned moon landing in July 1969. Credit: NASA The historic launch of the Apollo 11 mission carried three astronauts toward the moon. Two of them would set foot on the lunar surface for the first time in human history as millions of people around the world followed their steps on television. The astronauts The crew of Apollo 11 were all experienced astronauts.

All three had flown missions into space before. Cmdr. Neil Armstrong , 38, had previously piloted Gemini 8, the first time two vehicles docked in space. Born Aug. 5, 1930, in Ohio, Armstrong was 38 when he became the first civilian to command two American space missions. Apollo 11 crew: Neil Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin. Credit: NASA Col. Edwin Eugene "Buzz" Aldrin , 39, was the first astronaut with a doctorate to fly in space. Born Jan. 20, 1930, in New Jersey, Aldrin piloted Gemini 12, taking a two-hour, twenty-minute walk in space to demonstrate that an astronaut could work efficiently outside of the vehicle. For Apollo 11, he served as the lunar module pilot. The command module pilot, Lt. Col. Michael Collins, 38, was born in Italy on Oct. 31, 1930. The pilot of Gemini 10, Collins spent almost an hour and a half outside of the craft on a space-walk and became the first person to meet another spacecraft in orbit.

From Earth to the moon Mission planners at NASA studied the lunar surface for two years, searching for the best place to make the historic landing. Using high-resolution photographs taken by the Lunar Orbiter satellite and close-up photographs taken by the Surveyor spacecraft, they narrowed the initial thirty sites down to three. Influencing factors included the number of craters and boulders, few high cliffs or hills, and a relatively flat surface. The amount of sunlight was also a factor in determining the best time to land on the lunar surface. Apollo 11 launched from Kennedy Space Center in Florida at 9:32 a.m. EDT on July 16, 1969. While in flight, the crew made two televised broadcasts from the interior of the ship, and a third transmission as they drew closer to the moon, revealing the lunar surface and the intended approach path. On July 20, Armstrong and Aldrin entered the lunar module, nicknamed the "Eagle" and separated from the Command Service Module — the "Columbia" — headed toward the lunar surface. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin poses with the American flag on the surface of the moon in July 1969.

Credit: NASA The lunar module touched down on the moon's Sea of Tranquility , a large basaltic region, at 4:17 p.m. EDT. Armstrong notified Houston with the historic words, "Houston, this is Tranquility Base. The Eagle has landed." For the first two hours, Armstrong and Aldrin checked all of the systems, configured the lunar module for the stay on the moon, and ate. They decided to skip the scheduled four-hour rest to explore the surface. A camera in the Eagle provided live coverage as Armstrong descended down a ladder at 11:56 p.m. on July 20, 1969, and uttered the words, "That's one small step for man, one giant leap for mankind." Aldrin followed twenty minutes later, with Armstrong recording his descent. Armstrong had the responsibility to document the landing, so most of the images taken from the Apollo 11 mission were of Aldrin. [Images: NASA's Historic Apollo 11 Moon Landing in Pictures ] While on the surface, the astronauts set up several experiments, collected samples of lunar soil and rock to bring home, erected a United States flag, and took core samples from the crust.

They spoke with U.S. President Richard Nixon, whose voice was transmitted from the White House, and placed a plaque that stated: HERE MEN FROM THE PLANET EARTH FIRST SET FOOT UPON THE MOON JULY 1969, A.D. WE CAME IN PEACE FOR ALL MANKIND Memorial medallions with the names of the three astronauts who perished in the Apollo 1 fire and two cosmonauts who were also deceased, including the first man in space, Yuri Gagarin , remained after the astronauts left, as did a one-and-a-half-inch silicon disk with goodwill messages from 73 countries, and as the names of congressional and NASA leaders. Armstrong spent a little over two and a half hours outside of the Eagle. The astronauts traveled a total distance of about 3,300 feet (1 kilometer) as they walked around, traveling as far as 200 feet (60 meters) from the module to visit a large crater. They collected 47.51 pounds (21.55 kilograms) of samples from the moon, and reported that mobility on the moon was easier than anticipated.

Apollo 11 astronauts, still in their quarantine van, are greeted by their wives upon arrival at Ellington Air Force Base on July 27, 1969. Credit: NASA At 1:54 p.m. EDT, having spent a total of 21 and a half hours on the moon , the lunar module blasted back to where Collins sat in the Columbia. The two vehicles docked, and the crew and samples transferred to the Command Service Module before the Eagle was jettisoned into space. The astronauts headed back home. The team splashed down in the Pacific Ocean at 12:50 p.m. EDT on July 24, only a few miles from the recovery ship, the U.S.S. Hornet. After donning biological isolation garments, the crew left the Columbia and climbed into a rubber boat, where they were rubbed down with iodine in an effort to stem potential contamination. They traveled by helicopter to a Mobile Quarantine Facility aboard the ship before being taken to Houston. They remained quarantine until Aug. 10, having completed the national goal set by President John F. Kennedy in 1961, to perform a crewed lunar landing and return to Earth.

This is part of a SPACE.com series of articles on the Greatest Moments in Flight, the breakthrough events that paved the way for human spaceflight and its next steps: asteroid mining and bases on the moon and Mars. Related: NASA - Apollo 11 -- First Footprint on the Moon Apollo 11 -- First Footprint on the Moon 07.08.04 In 1961, President John F. Kennedy gave a speech. He said that the U.S. should work quickly and meet a goal. The goal was to send people to the Moon and back. The U.S. did meet the goal. And it only took eight years. One day in July, Apollo 11 launched towards the Moon. It had three astronauts on it. They were Neil Armstrong, Edwin (Buzz) Aldrin and Michael Collins. Image above: Buzz stands in front of the Lunar Module named Eagle. Credit: NASA A few days later, Apollo 11 began to orbit around the Moon. Then Armstrong and Aldrin took the Lunar Module to the Moon. They left Collins in orbit. What did they say when they landed on the moon? "The Eagle has landed." Eagle was the name of the Lunar Module.

On July 20, 1969, Neil Armstrong put his left foot on the rocky Moon. It was the first human footprint on the Moon. They had taken TV cameras with them. So, people all over the world watched when it happened. More people watched this Moon landing than any other show on TV. Image above: The first footprints on the Moon will be there for a million years. There is no wind to blow them away. The two astronauts walked on the Moon. They picked up rocks and dirt to bring back to Earth. The astronauts had much work to do. Then, the Eagle went back to meet astronaut Collins. He was in the Command Module working. Apollo 11 splashed down in the Pacific Ocean on July 24, 1969. The astronauts were safe at home. Apollo 11 (AS-506) | National Air and Space Museum Apollo 11 (AS-506) Lunar Landing Mission Apollo 11 was the first manned mission to land on the Moon. The first steps by humans on another planetary body were taken by Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin on July 20, 1969.

The astronauts also returned to Earth the first samples from another planetary body. Apollo 11 achieved its primary mission - to perform a manned lunar landing and return the mission safely to Earth - and paved the way for the Apollo lunar landing missions to follow. Summary of Events The Apollo 11 spacecraft was launched from Cape Kennedy at 13:32:00 UT on July 16, 1969. After 2 hr and 33 min in Earth orbit, the S-IVB engine was reignited for acceleration of the spacecraft to the velocity required for Earth gravity escape. Lunar-orbit insertion began at 75:50 ground elapsed time (GET). The spacecraft was placed in an elliptical orbit (61 by 169 nautical miles), inclined 1.25 degrees to the lunar equatorial plane. At 80:12 GET, the service module propulsion system was reignited, and the orbit was made nearly circular (66 by 54 nautical miles) above the surface of the Moon. Each orbit took two hours. Photographs taken from lunar orbit provided broad views for the study of regional lunar geology.

The lunar module (LM), with Astronauts Armstrong and Aldrin aboard, was undocked from the command-service module (CSM) at 100:14 GET, following a thorough check of all the LM systems. At 101:36 GET, the LM descent engine was fired for approximately 29 seconds, and the descent to the lunar surface began. At 102:33 GET, the LM descent engine was started for the last time and burned until touchdown on the lunar surface. Eagle landed on the Moon 102 hr, 45 min and 40 sec after launch. Immediately after landing on the Moon, Armstrong and Aldrin prepared the LM for liftoff as a contingency measure. Following the meal, a scheduled sleep period was postponed at the astronauts' request, and the astronauts began preparations for descent to the lunar surface. Astronaut Armstrong emerged from the spacecraft first. While descending, he released the Modularized Equipment Stowage Assembly (MESA) on which the surface television camera was stowed, and the camera recorded humankind's first step on the Moon at 109:24:19 GET (pictured at left).

A sample of lunar surface material was collected and stowed to assure that, if a contingency required an early end to the planned surface activities, samples of lunar surface material would be returned to Earth. Astronaut Aldrin subsequently descended to the lunar surface. The astronauts carried out the planned sequence of activities that included deployment of a Solar Wind Composition (SWC) experiment, collection of a larger sample of lunar material, panoramic photographs of the region near the landing site and the lunar horizon, closeup photographs of in place lunar surface material, deployment of a Laser-Ranging Retroreflector (LRRR) and a Passive Seismic Experiment Package (PSEP), and collection of two core-tube samples of the lunar surface. Approximately two and a quarter hours after descending to the surface, the astronauts began preparations to reenter the LM, after which the astronauts slept. The ascent from the lunar surface began at 124:22 GET, 21 hours and 36 minutes after the lunar landing. In transearth coast only one of four planned midcourse corrections was required.

The CM entered the atmosphere of the Earth with a velocity of 36,194 feet per second (11,032 meters per second) and landed in the Pacific Ocean. From NASA SP-214, Preliminary Science Report. How did Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin decide who stepped outside first? - Quora Quora Aviation How did Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin decide who stepped outside first? I am sure there had to be a coin toss, game of rock-paper-scissors, or something else to decide. Perhaps Neil was just the senior astronaut. Does anyone have an idea what went down here? Answer Wiki 16 Answers Quora User, Grew up in Space City (Houston, TX), I've followed NASA since I was a kid. Paul Tomblin , Licensed private pilot. PP-ASEL-IA with high performance and complex endorsements. This was an executive decision made by Deke Slayton, George Low, Bob Gilruth, and Chris Kraft. Many factors went into this decision, including: Armstrong did not have a big ego, they wanted a "Lindbergh"-type person to make the first step.

Armstrong was a civilian astronaut (Aldrin was Air Force), and having a military astronaut make that first step would send the wrong message. The mission commander should be the first one out. The public answer was that the configuration made it difficult for the LM pilot to egress first, so the commander was to go out instead. This Wikipedia page is a good quick first source, but it is much better hashed out in James Hansen's First Man: The Life of Neil A. Armstrong Written Aug 14, 2015 They didn't. It was decided in the planning stages, long, long before they even launched. Robert Frost has provided the documentation here: Updated Nov 2 · Upvoted by Tom Stagliano , Senior Aerospace Engineer (studied at MIT) Neil got out first because that had been decided by a planning committee about six months prior. Neil (and Buzz) both had input on that committee, and there is no evidence—or even rumor, that either man was particularly worried about it. Indeed, it’s pretty clear that neither man fully appreciated the historic significance of that first step.

Neil always maintained that he didn’t give his first words any thought until a few days before launch, when he realized, gee, the whole world will be watching me. I should probably say something. If you can’t wait to see our next steps on the moon, you might enjoy my free award-winning scifi sampler. 22.7k Views · View Upvotes Dave Mohr , 38 years working in and around NASA as a contractor, 20 years in Shuttle program Written Jan 25, 2016 This decision was made by Apollo Program Management long before the flight. Buzz had made something of a 'stink' about it, which encouraged a decision from management. Buzz thought he should have gone out first, following the 'tradition' on the Gemini flights that the guy in the right seat went EVA. In the end, management decided that Neil would go out first. The rationale provided was that the LM hatch opened inward toward Buzz, which made it nearly impossible for him to go out when Neil was still standing there, especially when both were wearing suits and PLSS. But given a choice between Neil and Buzz for 'first emissary' (did I spell that right?) to another world, Neil got the nod.

Despite the vast attention paid to the astronauts’ psychological profiles and their ability to work in teams, the Apollo 11 crew verged on the dysfunctional. While Armstrong and Aldrin didn’t quite match Stoppard’s Scott and Oates, there was a fierce behind-the-scenes battle between them to be first to set foot on the Moon. Early plans were for Aldrin, as module pilot, to step out first, but one version reported by Smith has it that Armstrong, as mission commander, lobbied more vigorously than Aldrin, and Nasa backed him up because he would be ‘better equipped to handle the clamour when he got back’ and, more mundanely, because his seat in the lunar module was closer to the door. Aldrin paid Armstrong back by taking no photographs of him on the Moon: the only manually taken lunar image of the First Man on the Moon is in one of many pictures Armstrong snapped of Aldrin, showing himself reflected in the visor of Aldrin’s spacesuit. Asked about this omission later, Aldrin lamely replied: ‘My fault, perhaps, but we had never simulated this in training.’ Later, Aldrin put it about that Armstrong’s First Sentence might have been a bureaucratic concoction.

Apollo 11 Onboard Audio | NASA Apollo 11 Onboard Audio Apollo 11 Onboard Audio Image Above: Apollo 11 Lunar Module Pilot Buzz Aldrin. Credit: NASA You're in a spacecraft, descending to land on the moon for the first time in history, and the microphone to Earth is off. What do you say? "I would appreciate if you could ... see if you could ... find the map ..." "Trade you that for a piece of gum. There it is." And so it went as Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin descended to the surface of the moon aboard the Lunar Module Eagle on July 20, 1969. The world heard communications between the crew and Mission Control live as they happened. But Earth did not hear the conversation between Armstrong and Aldrin, although it was recorded onboard the Eagle. All of the Apollo spacecraft included onboard voice recorders, activated during much of each mission to record the crew's conversations. The transcripts of those recordings were publicly released in the mid-1970s and they have been posted on the Internet for years. But only recently were the actual onboard recordings from Apollo 11 digitized so that the recordings could be made available on the Internet.

The Apollo 11 Onboard Audio Tape Database cross references the tape numbers to the Mission Elapsed Time (MET) that was on each tape. The database includes a description of the mission status at that time. It is best to listen to the tapes while simultaneously viewing the same mission elapsed time on the transcript, since often the recordings are faint. The digitized recordings are available here in the same form as they were recorded during the mission. As a result, they are noisy with technical interference that occurred during their recording and transmission. They are sometimes garbled and sometimes have long periods of no voice. They are not listed in chronological order but rather in the order that data was dumped onto storage tapes during the mission. A single tape may include recordings from several different periods of the mission. The equipment onboard the Apollo Command Module that was used to make the recordings was called the Data Storage Equipment (DSE). Its contents were transmitted to the ground periodically during the mission. Also, the Command Module DSE had the capability to record data live during certain periods from the Lunar Module as it flew separately in lunar orbit. The equipment used aboard the Lunar Module to make the recordings was called the Data Storage Electronics Assembly (DSEA).

It made recordings onboard the Lunar Module, but the DSEA flown on the Eagle during Apollo 11 malfunctioned. As a result, many of its recordings are barely, if at all, audible, with a constant high-pitched background tone. In the attached database, the recordings that are virtually inaudible are highlighted, but they are available on the web to ensure a complete release of the recordings made during the mission. Related Apollo Audio Materials Apollo 11 Moon Landing Pictures | Apollo Missions Apollo 11 Crew Credit: NASA The Apollo 11 crew, from left: Commander Neil A. Armstrong, Command Module Pilot Michael Collins, and Lunar Module Pilot Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin Jr. On July 20th 1969 at 4:18 PM, EDT the Lunar Module "Eagle" landed in a region of the moon called the Mare Tranquillitatis, also known as the Sea of Tranquility. Apollo 11 Crew Walks to Launch Pad Credit: NASA The Apollo 11 crew leaves Kennedy Space Center's Manned Spacecraft Operations Building during the pre-launch countdown.

Mission commander Neil Armstrong, command module pilot Michael Collins, and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin prepare to ride the special transport van to Launch Complex 39A where their spacecraft awaited them. Liftoff occurred at 9:32 a.m. EDT, July 16, 1969. Apollo 11 Launch Credit: NASA The Apollo 11 mission launched from the Kennedy Space Center, Florida on July 16, 1969, bearing the first humans to walk on the moon. Placing the Flag on the Moon Credit: NASA The deployment of the flag of the United States on the surface of the moon is captured on film during the first Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Apollo 11 Liftoff and Flag Credit: NASA. A Saturn V rocket launches the Apollo 11 crew on the first moon landing mission on July 16, 1969 in this image framed by an American flag. Four days later, Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin landed on the moon while crewmate Michael Collins orbited above.

Apollo 11 Launch Credit: NASA The Apollo 11 Saturn V space vehicle climbs toward orbit on July 16, 1969, bearing astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin E. Aldrin, Jr. Armstrong and Aldrin would make history as the first men on the moon. Aldrin Inside Lunar Module Credit: NASA. Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin poses for a snapshot while inside the Lunar Module in this July 1969 NASA image. Aldrin and astronaut Neil Armstrong were the first humans to land and walk on the moon on July 20, 1969. Michael Collins Before Boarding Apollo 11 Mission Credit: NASA. Clad in his spacesuit, Command Module (CM) pilot Michael Collins does a final check of his communications system before the boarding of the Apollo 11 mission on July 16, 1969. Tranquility Base with Lunar Lander Credit: NASA Tranquility Base, the Apollo 11 mission's Eagle lunar lander touchdown site as seen in July 1969.

Aldrin Outside Lunar Lander Credit: NASA Sunlight and shadows are cast on the Apollo 11 lunar lander Eagle and lunar module pilot Buzz Aldrin in this image by mission commander Neil Armstrong during the first manned moon landing on July 20, 1969. Buzz Aldrin Walks on the Moon in 1969 Credit: NASA Apollo 11 astronaut Buzz Aldrin walks on the moon in July 1969 in this photo snapped by Neil Armstrong. Apollo 11 Moon Landing Credit: NASA Astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr., lunar module pilot of the first lunar landing mission, is beside the U.S. flag during an Apollo 11 moon walk. The Lunar Module (LM) is on the left, and the footprints of the astronauts are clearly visible in the soil of the moon. Astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, commander, took this picture with a 70mm Hasselblad lunar surface camera. One Small Step for Man … Credit: NASA/Andy Chaikin/ collectSPACE.com On July 20, 1969, Apollo 11 astronaut Neil Armstrong became the first man to walk on the moon.

Armstrong is pictured here, shortly after collecting a sample of lunar dust and rocks. At his feet is the handle for the sample collection tool. First Footprints on the Moon Credit: NASA Apollo 11 astronaut Edwin Aldrin photographed this iconic photo, a view of his footprint in the lunar soil, as part of an experiment to study the nature of lunar dust and the effects of pressure on the surface during the historic first manned moon landing in July 1969. Earth Seen During Apollo 11 Mission Credit: NASA. Destination Moon. Space tourists are guaranteed a window view like no other from a lunar distance. Shown here is photo from Apollo 11 mission in 1969. President Nixon Calls Apollo 11 Astronauts Credit: NASA. Composite photo of President Richard M. Nixon as he telephoned "Tranquility Base" and astronauts Neil Armstrong and Edwin "Buzz" Aldrin after their historic Apollo 11 moon landing on July 20, 1969.

Apollo 11 Mission Officials After Apollo 11 Liftoff Credit: NASA Apollo 11 mission officials relax in the Launch Control Center following the successful Apollo 11 liftoff on July 16, 1969. Second from left (with binoculars) stands Dr. Wernher von Braun, Director of the Marshall Space Flight Center. Dr. Wernher von Braun Following Apollo 11 Launch Credit: NASA/Kennedy Space Center Dr. Wernher von Braun, director of the Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Alabama, relaxes after the successful launch of Apollo 11 astronauts Neil A. Armstrong, Michael Collins and Edwin Aldrin Jr. Their historic lunar landing mission began at 9:32 a.m. EDT, July 16, 1969, when an Apollo/Saturn V space vehicle lifted off from the spaceport's Launch Complex 39A. Apollo 11 Mission Polaroid Image Credit: Image Courtesy: Bill Wood Slow-scan Polaroid taken at Goldstone tracking station reveals far more detail than publicly broadcast TV during Apollo 11 moonwalk.

Search is underway to locate old Apollo tapes and freshen them up with new digital technologies. Neil Armstrong on the Moon Credit: NASA Apollo 11 astronauts trained on Earth to take individual photographs in succession in order to create a series of frames that could be assembled into panoramic images. This frame from Aldrin's panorama of the Apollo 11 landing site is the only good picture of mission commander Neil Armstrong on the lunar surface. Nixon Welcomes Neil Armstrong and Apollo 11 Crew Credit: NASA President Richard M. Nixon was in the central Pacific recovery area to welcome the Apollo 11 astronauts aboard the USS Hornet, prime recovery ship for the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Already confined to the Mobile Quarantine Facility (MQF) are (left to right) Neil A. Armstrong, commander; Michael Collins, command module pilot; and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot. Apollo 11 splashed down at 11:49 a.m. (CDT), July 24, 1969, about 812 nautical miles southwest of Hawaii and only 12 nautical miles from the USS Hornet.

NYC Parade for Apollo 11 Moon Landing Crew Credit: NASA Back from the Moon, Apollo Astronauts Had to Go Through Customs Credit: NASA/U.S. Customs and Border Patrol. A copy of the U.S. Customs form filled out by Apollo 11 astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin and Michael Collins after their return to Earth on July 24, 1969. Apollo 11 Lunar Sample No. 10046 Credit: NASA Johnson Space Center A close-up view of Apollo 11 lunar sample no. 10046. New Photos Reveal Apollo 11 at First Moon Landing Site Credit: NASA/GSFC/ASU In this image, the Apollo 11 lunar lander and it shadow can be seen in a view from NASA's new Lunar Reconnaissance Orbiter, which is scouting the moon for new landing sites for future astronauts.

Apollo 11 Crew Meets Obama Credit: NASA/Bill Ingall President Barack Obama poses with Apollo 11 astronauts, from left, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins, and Neil Armstrong, Monday, July 20, 2009, in the Oval Office of the White House in Washington, on the 40th anniversary of the Apollo 11 lunar landing. NASA Secretly Launched Apollo 11 Moon Rock to Space Credit: collectSPACE.com /NASA Stowed aboard Discovery during the STS-119 launch on March 15, 2009, the moon rock inside its case was in turn packaged inside a padded container labeled "Apollo 11 sample". Apollo Moon Rock Gets New Lunar Mission Credit: NASA A moon rock brought to Earth by Apollo 11, humans' first landing on the moon in July 1969, is shown as it floats aboard the International Space Station. Part of Earth can be seen through the window. The 3.6 billion year-old lunar sample was flown to the station in honor of the July 2009 40th anniversary of the historic first moon landing.

It was returned on shuttle mission STS-128 to be publicly displayed. Space Congressional Gold Medals for Apollo 11 Astronauts Credit: NASA/Stephanie Schierholz Enlargements of the New Frontier Congressional Gold Medal being on display in the Capitol Rotunda. The smaller, actual-size medals were awarded to astronauts Neil Armstrong, Buzz Aldrin, Michael Collins and John Glenn on Nov. 16, 2011. Neil Armstrong Statue Credit: Purdue University A statue of a young Neil Armstrong sits outside the engineering building that bears his name at Purdue University. Neil Armstrong in Lunar Module Shadow Credit: NASA This photo from the historic Apollo 11 moon mission, shows astronaut Neil A. Armstrong, mission commander standing on the moon, July 20, 2012. Armstrong was using a clothesline device to transport a contingency lunar sample into the Lunar Module (LM), nicknamed "Eagle," on the surface of the moon. Astronaut Edwin E. "Buzz" Aldrin, Jr. was in the Eagle to receive the sample.

Armstrong, the first person to set foot on the moon, passed away on August 25, 2012, at the age of 82. Apollo 11 American Flag Patch Credit: NASA This American flag patch is from the left arm on Neil Armstrong's Apollo 11 suit. This image was taken in April 2006 at the National Air and Space Museum's Garber Facility in Suitland, MD. Buzz Aldrin Steps Out Credit: NASA Astronaut Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, egresses the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" and begins to descend the steps of the LM ladder as he prepares to walk on the moon. Armstrong and Aldrin in Lunar Module Credit: NASA Astronauts Neil A. Armstrong (left), commander, and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., lunar module pilot, are seen standing by the Lunar Module (LM) "Eagle" ladder in this black and white reproduction taken from a telecast by the Apollo 11 lunar surface television camera during the Apollo 11 extravehicular activity (EVA).

Apollo 11 Astronauts Greet Officials Credit: NASA Astronauts Michael Collins (left) and Edwin E. Aldrin Jr., are greeted by Dr. Robert R. Gilruth, director, Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), and others upon their release from quarantine. Apollo 11 Module Recovery Mission Credit: NASA The Apollo 11 crewmen, wearing biological isolation garments, arrive aboard the USS Hornet during recovery operations in the central Pacific. Neil Armstrong Greets His Son Credit: NASA Neil A. Armstrong, commander of the Apollo 11 flight, greets his son Mark, on telephone intercom system, while his wife Jan and another son Eric look on. Apollo 11 Crew Prepare to Dine Credit: NASA The crewmen of the historic Apollo 11 lunar landing mission stand in the serving line as they prepare to dine in the Crew Reception Area of the Lunar Receiving Laboratory, Building 37, Manned Spacecraft Center. Apollo 11 Crew Post-Flight Debrieing Credit: NASA The crewmen of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission go through their post flight debriefing session on Sunday, July 27, 1969.

Apollo 11 Flight Controllers Celebrate Credit: NASA Overall view of the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) in the Mission Control Center (MCC), Building 30, Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC), showing the flight controllers celebrating the successful conclusion of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Apollo 11 Preflight Press Conference Credit: NASA The three prime crewmen of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission participate in a preflight press conference in the Building 1 auditorium on July 5, 1969. Apollo 11 Officials Celebrate Credit: NASA A group of NASA and Manned Spacecraft Center (MSC) officials join in with the flight controllers in the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) in the Mission Control Center (MCC), Building 30, in celebrating the successful conclusion of the Apollo 11 lunar landing mission. Ticker Tape Parade for Apollo 11 Crew Credit: NASA New York City welcomes Apollo 11 crewmen in a showering of ticker tape down Broadway and Park Avenue in a parade termed as the largest in the city's history. Buzz Aldrin Inside the Lunar Module Credit: NASA Astronaut Edwin E.

Aldrin Jr., Apollo 11 lunar module pilot, performs for his Earth-bound television audience, in this color reproduction taken from a TV transmission, from the Apollo 11 spacecraft during its trans-Earth journey home from the moon. Spacecraft Communicators for Apollo 11 Mission Credit: NASA Spacecraft communicators are pictured as they keep in contact with the Apollo 11 astronauts during their lunar landing mission on July 20, 1969. View of the Mission Operations Control Room for Apollo 11 Credit: NASA Interior view of the Mission Operations Control Room (MOCR) in the Mission Control Center (MCC) during the Apollo 11 lunar extravehicular activity (EVA). Apollo 11 Moon landing: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin split over Mars - Telegraph Space Apollo 11 Moon landing: Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin split over Mars The Apollo 11 astronauts, Neil Armstrong and Buzz Aldrin, who became the first men to walk on the Moon, have split over whether to send missions to Mars, according to reports.

Astronauts Neil Armstrong, left, Michael Collins, center, and Buzz Aldrin, are pictured in the Apollo II crew portrait in 1969 Photo: AP By Heidi Blake 12:13PM BST 17 Jul 2009 Armstrong and Aldrin, who landed on the lunar surface on July 20 1969, are said to be tussling with differences of opinion over mankind's next space destination ahead of a joint lecture to mark the 40th anniversary of the first ever moonwalk. Aldrin, 79, has called for the world to forget about the Moon and press on with establishing a human settlement on Mars to escape the ravages of climate change on Earth. But Armstrong, 78, is said to disagree with his former Nasa colleague. "He does not really feel the same way about some of these current policy issues that Aldrin does, and here’s Buzz out there hawking his book and being the one that everyone’s interviewing," Armstrong's friend and biographer James Hansen told The Times.

“Buzz is suggesting that we need to skip over going back to the Moon and start moving towards Mars, and the Nasa position has been somewhat different to that. I think Neil really believes that the Moon is very important — not that he doesn’t want to go on to Mars, but maybe that going back to the Moon is the right thing to do first, and then use the Moon as a staging post for a Mars mission." The pair will deliver a joint lecture on the eve of the 40th anniversary of the first manned moon landing at the S mithsonian Institution’s National Air and Space Museum in Washington. Related Articles

Question: On which Apollo mission did Armstrong and Aldrin land on the moon?
Answer: Apollo 11